Angry Blue Babies
by ImplicationsProblematic
Summary: Post-game slight fluff. Shepard and co are surprised by the change in Liara and Javik's relationship in the months since the end of the war. Javik/Liara Rated T out of confusion for safety. Very first fanfic, please be kind.
1. Chapter 1

The video link was a little fuzzy- one year since the activation of the Crucible,the extranet was working and the mass relays were mostly functioning, but galactic communication was not yet back to its pre-war standards. The sound quality was fine, but the image lagged and Shepard's face periodically jerked out of focus.

"Liara?"

As far as she could make out, the Commander seemed well. She was smiling at least, which had been a rare sight in the later months of the conflict. They'd only met in person once since the end of the war, but communicated frequently, technology permitting.

"Shepard," she smiled. "The quality is a little substandard at my end, what about yours?"

"It's pretty bad." The video continued to act up, as though to verify her claims. "I'd try and do something- but Kaidan made me promise not to mess with the communicator settings anymore."

Liara smiled. As a sentinel, Kaidan had always been bemused at best by Shepard's "_have you tried turning it off and on again?"_ approach to technology.

"How is Kaidan? Are you still in Vancouver?"

"He's good." She grinned. "Out with his Dad at the moment. And yeah we are - Still not sure what to do with ourselves… peacetime is strange. Good, but strange. Hackett wants me to write my memoirs…"she rolled her eyes. "so I'm hoping you'll get your book finished soon and then write mine for me."

Liara laughed. "Unfortunately, I believe there is still a substantial amount of work to do."

"Are you and Javik still arguing?" Shepard frowned. "Do we need to-" she mimicked his voice "_find an airlock, so that we may throw him out of it?_"

"Thank you Shepard, but that will not be necessary, we are getting along well- in fact…" How should she phrase this? It would probably surprise her, it had certainly been unexpected. "There is something that I should perhaps tell you about the situation here-"

"Are you still having problems with irrigation?" Shepard-ever the strategist- instantly leapt to the problems Thessia had been suffering since the Reaper attack.

"No, Shepard. It's-"

"The power grids again? Damn, I thought that was sorted."

"No, it's not that-"

"Are the networks on the western continent stable yet?"

"I believe there is still some trouble with radiation emission, but that's not what I-"

"Damn it," Shepard was lost in the issue of her own invention. "Liara, I'm going to talk to some people from Alliance R&D and see if they have any new prototypes that might be helpful. I'll get right on it and send you a message when I know something. Take care okay?"

"No, Shepard! Wait I'm-" the distorted Shepard waved to the camera and then disappeared. "-pregnant." Liara finished. She pressed her hand to her lips and sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm back!" Shepard struggled through the apartment door with her shopping."Okay, I went to three different stores but I couldn't find any of that gross Elcor herbal blend stuff that you like. So I was going to try that place opposite the hospital- y'know, the one run by that nice old Turian couple?- but this kid recognised me so I thought I'd get out of there before it all went a bit Conrad Verner." She set the bags down and wandered through to the lounge. "So you're gonna have to drink boring old tea like the rest of us- sorry. But I'm sure we'll find a way to take your mind off it- which reminds me, you know that thing you did last night with your-" She ground to a halt, realising that Kaidan was not the only person in the room.

"Shepard," he smiled. "We have company."

On the sofa opposite him, facing away from Shepard sat an Asari of a particularly intense blue.

"Liara?!" Shepard vaulted over the sofa's back to embrace her old friend.

"Shepard," Liara laughed as the Commander threw her arms about her. It had been just over a month since their last video call, but much longer since they had met face to face.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I took a trip to Hagalaz to check on Feron," Liara explained "Earth wasn't quite on my way home, but I wanted to see you both."

Shepard just laughed and hugged her once more. Something had changed.

"Liara something's different about you." Shepard frowned. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, In fact I'm actually feeling very well indeed."

"There's definitely something." She continued "Kaidan, back me up here." Much to her confusion, Kaidan appeared to be laughing at her. "What?" Now Liara was laughing too. "WHAT?"

Kaidan put a hand on each of Shepard's shoulders and guided her a few paces backwards.

"Now try again." He grinned, stepping out of the way and gesturing to Liara.

Shepard glared at them both and began to scrutinize the Asari's full profile. Liara was still the same absurd shade of blue, with the same wide eyes and kind smile… She certainly didn't look any older… What was it? Her eyes scanned down to Liara's abdomen and suddenly it was as obvious as a Krogan stealth unit.

"You're- Are you?…"

"Pregnant." Liara confirmed with a smile. "Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

If only the galactic community could see this.

The saviour of organic life and the most powerful information merchant in the galaxy were giggling away together like schoolgirls. _Giggling._ Kaidan laughed with them. This was exactly the sort of happiness… the sort of _normality_ that he'd feared The Normandy's crew would never know. And yet here they were.

"This is wonderful." Shepard beamed. "But I don't understand. Who's the other parent? Are you seeing someone?"

"Well-" Liara put one hand to the gentle dome of her stomach and smiled. "Yes. It's…" she laughed, blue eyes bright with happiness. "It's Javik."

"Javik?" Kaidan and Shepard repeated in unison.

"I can appreciate that it may seem strange." Liara admitted. "It was not something I had anticipated."

"Don't get us wrong Liara," Kaidan insisted "Javik's a great guy- he's saved my ass more times than I'd care to count, but…" he trailed off awkwardly.

"The last time I saw him he'd only just started calling you Liara instead of _Primitive Asari_." Said Shepard, dumbfounded.

Liara giggled again.

"Look at her Kaidan!" Shepard cried. "She's actually blushing!"

"Dr T'Soni you sly devil." He grinned.

"I know it's a little odd." said Liara "We stayed up very late one night working on the book- Javik was having difficulty describing Prothean agricultural practices- it was never really his area of expertise, so it was difficult for him to explain to me. We were very tired and frustrated, and I believe we had been drinking."

"Ah," Kaidan said knowingly.

"It occurred to us, that we could solve the problem by connecting our consciousnesses. It was very useful, but the Prothean nervous system is incredibly powerful and we both ended up sharing more than we had intended. After that… I think we just saw each other differently."

"You understood each other better?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," Liara nodded. "So we continued to share information this way. And at first our intentions were entirely scholarly-"

"Yeah, that's the line you used on me if I recall." joked Shepard

"Hey!" Kaidan objected.

"-but the nature of the contact soon changed into something more… um…" Liara's blue cheeks were blushing a deep purple. "…more intimate."

"This is insane." Shepard said.

"No, wait." Kaidan had remembered something. "Remember the party at Anderson's apartment?"

"Through a fine purple haze…"Liara replied. Shepard groaned in agreement.

"Well I have a vague memory of running into Javik, whilst I was looking for Shepard-" The Commander smirked but he ignored her "-and he was completely wasted-"

"Weren't we all?" mused Liara.

"-aaanndddnd he was talking about you Liara, about your eyes."

"Awwwww," Shepard cooed as though she were a soppy teenager rather than a galactic hero. "He loved you all along!"

"I would be lying if I denied that he has proved a quite unexpected source of happiness."

"Well you certainly didn't waste any time settling down! You do know the world's not ending anymore, right?"

"Yeah, I thought Asari didn't have babies until their Matron Stage." The three part Asari lifesystem still confused him, but he was pretty certain that Liara (who was young for an Asari at just north of one hundred years old) should still be in her adventurous maiden years.

"An Asari usually enters her Matron Stage between her third and fourth centuries," Liara nodded. "And this varies depending on the frequency at which she melds with others. Our theory is that the… _power_ of the Prothean nervous system… jump-started my biology. Which would explain the baby; Asari pregnancy is usually a deliberate choice on the part of the mother. In fact, this is the only surprise Asari pregnancy I have ever heard of."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Kaidan asked, concerned. "It's pretty huge."

"Oh yes!" she cried. "Our daughter wasn't planned, but… Oh I don't know how to explain it." Her azure eyes radiated happiness as tangible as her tears. "All those years, we were fighting to give the galaxy a future, but now… now I have something to fill it with. It's as though this is what I was fighting for all along, without even knowing. And as for Javik," her smile was melancholy. "He told me that he had intended to take his life if he survived the war, because he could see no place for himself in this cycle. He had thought that even if the futures of the current races were secured, his had been lost forever fifty thousand years earlier. But now… since… since _us_… well…" Her usual eloquence failed her, but among friends such as them it did not matter.

"Oh God Liara this is just _so so wonderful_." Shepard reached out to gently squeeze her friend's hands.

"More than wonderful," Kaidan agreed.

"Thank you both-" Liara's voice cracked and she brought a hand to her eyes. "-thank you both so much. Goddess," she sighed. "Please forgive my hormones."

Very deliberately, Shepard stood up and began to fiddle with her omnitool.

"By the Goddess," gasped Liara "are you _crying_?"

"Commander Shepard doesn't cry." She insisted, trying her best to hide a telling sniff. "Now with your permission Liara, I'm going to call Joker so you can knock him sideways with the news about you and _Prothy the Prothean._"


	4. Chapter 4

_Dad,_ _Hope you and Solana are doing okay. I'll come and see you both soon I promise, but there's so much still to do here on Rannoch. I didn't think I'd be of any use- what do I know about resettling planets?- but I seem to have ended up in a command position yet again. I'm organizing supply lines and transport logistics for the settlers and refugees at the moment and I appear to be making a difference. It's a little strange compared to my usual work, but it's a pleasant change to be helping people without having to put a bullet between someone's eyes. Listen to me, I'm going soft, or maybe I'm just getting old. What would Mom say if she could see her son in a job that didn't require a rifle? _ _The plans for the house are getting more ridiculous by the day; I think there'll be towers and a moat by the time Tali is through- she'd have me looking at paint swatches if she could get her hands on any. It's absurd, but it's worth it to see her this happy. And I'm happy too, Dad. I really am. I know you and Mom hoped I'd settle down on Palaven with a nice Turian girl, but being here on Rannoch with Tali… well, it feels like this is what all that time playing hero with Shepard was for. If you guys ever feel like trading that silver planet for a red one for a while, it'd be great to have you guys visit. It's a little short of tourist attractions and quality accommodation at the moment, but damn it's beautiful. _ _I really am going soft._ _Drop me a message when you can. I've picked up the habit of saying "Keelah se'lai" from Tali- I'd compare it to catching a cold if it weren't such poor taste- but she's never really been able to give me a proper translation. She says it's close to "By the Homeworld I hope to see one day", but when I catch myself saying it, I'm thinking of Palaven and you guys. _ _Garrus_

With half a smile (literally), Garrus hit 'send' and rose from the desk. He was barely halfway across the unit he shared with Tali when the computer he'd left began to beep pointedly at him. A video call- surely not his Dad already? He sat back down. No. Not his Dad.

"Joker?" he said aloud.

"Joker?!" Tali's mask appeared around the unit's open door.

"I thought you were supposed to be connecting water lines?"

"Never mind that." Tali shooed him out of the desk chair excitedly. "Joker is that you?" she opened the call.

The long distance feed was of an unusually high quality for Rannoch- it was, of course, still dreadful, but Joker was clear enough to be recognizable even without his usual headwear.

"Hey Tali," Joker smiled. "Don't you think you're a little over-qualified to be taking calls for some grumpy Turian?"

"Oh how I've missed human wit," said Garrus dryly, from behind Tali.

"Is that you big guy?" the pilot grinned. "Your head's out of shot."Garrus crouched awkwardly, bringing his battle-worn face into frame. "There's that ugly mug"

_Humans and their idiosyncrasies. _In what way did his face resemble dishware?

"Happy now Moreau? I'm afraid I'm not very bendable."

"Yeah yeah," said Joker, with a smirk. "You've got the reach and Tali's got flexibility right?"

Turians could not blush, but Garrus was fairly sure that Tali could and _would_ be doing so now behind her mask.

"Anyway," Joker continued. "GUESS WHO'S HAVING A BABY?" He left them all of a second to venture predictions before giving it away. "LIARA."

"Liara?!" Garrus and Tali exclaimed together.

"It gets better." He was enjoying this too much. "Guess who the father is." This time they didn't even have time to open their mouths. "JAVIK."

"JAVIK?!" This, they more or less shouted.

"Yeah," replied Joker with a wicked grin. "So anyway, just thought I'd let you know. It's been nice chatting."

And he cut the call.

"JOKER!"

For a few moments they stared at each other in utter bewilderment and then, in unison, they scrambled at the computer to claw further details from their errand friend.


	5. Chapter 5

Finding time to visit Thessia hadn't been hard. Shepard and Kaidan were still officially '_on leave' _from both active Alliance service and their Spectre duties. Hackett had set them up in an apartment in Vancouver, not far from Alliance HQ. They were wheeled out for consultancies and special occasions, but were largely left to their own devices whilst they recovered from the Reaper fallout and tried to decide what they wanted from the rest of their lives. So when Liara's baby was born, taking the trip was a certainty, but transport was a little more complicated. Most of the mass relays were functioning again, but ships couldn't pass through as and when they pleased anymore. The network was still recovering and the old levels of traffic would inflict too great a strain. This meant that actually getting to Thessia could potentially take a while- particularly since they hoped to pick up Garrus and Tali on the way. However, certain transport classes had ways of jumping the queues- like military vessels, for example.

Shepard's plan was not as devious as she had thought; Hackett soon figured out where the conversation was headed.

"…so you want me to lend you advanced military hardware for a galactic roadtrip with your buddies?"

Shepard thought about it.

"Pretty much sir."

Hackett sighed. "Okay."

Shepard stared at him. "What? Really?" He nodded, his face impassive.

"On one condition."

Shepard slumped in her seat. _Here we go_.

"You want me to do the recruitment drive?" she sighed.

"Alenko too." He nodded.

"Fine."

"_And_ you're going to give a speech at the London tech summit next October."

"What happened to _one condition_?" she groaned.

"_Annnnd_, whilst you're on Rannoch-" he pause and changed his grizzled tone slightly, "I assume you _will_ be visiting Rannoch en route?" Shepard nodded. "Whilst you're on Rannoch," Hackett resumed. "You're going to get a full report on any surviving Geth activity." He rose from his desk, Shepard followed. "You do all that, and you can take The Normandy to coo over your friend's baby."

Shepard grinned shamelessly. She'd _hoped_ for a ship, she'd _prayed_ for The Normandy. "Thank you sir," She gave a quick salute, received a nod of dismissal in return and practically skipped out of Hackett's office with excitement.

"Oh and I'd like you to do one more thing Shepard."

_Christ, what else? Does he want his laundry done too?_

"Yes sir?"

"Extend my congratulations to Doctor T'Soni."

Shepard beamed at him afresh.

"Of course sir."

Hackett waited until the Commander had left to allow himself to smile.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay, my turn again. Gimme gimme gimme."

Liara laughed as the Commander outstretched her arms and wiggled her fingers impatiently at Tali, who was currently holding the baby.

"Oh, Shepard," Tali seemed to be pouting behind her mask. "Just a little longer."

"I tell you what,"Shepard said "next time, _you_ provide the military class spaceship and then you can hog the baby all your want Zorah." The glowing lights behind Tali's visor narrowed as she handed her old friend the infant. In her arms, the baby Asari was very small, very cute and _very very blue_. The sparkling sapphire eyes seemed far too large for such a tiny face, and as Shepard looked into them she felt a soft coo escape her throat in defiance of her warrior reputation. Beside her, Kaidan chuckled.

"Careful human," Javik frowned, slipping back into the old habit of referring to others by their species. "Do not forget to support the head- she cannot do so herself at this age."

"She _knows,_ Javik." Liara laughed to see the one time 'Avatar of the Vengeance of the Prothean People' fussing so over his daughter. He no longer had to worry about galactic extinction, but he found plenty of other things to get worked up about; just two days before, she had witnessed him throw several blankets off the balcony of their apartment, shouting as he did so. "_This material is far too rough for a child's skin! How dare they sell this as an infant blanket. In my cycle we would have choked the manufacturer with his own coarse fibres." _Liara smiled and sat down beside him, winding her arm around his. Javik gave a quiet sub-vocal hum of approval that only she could hear and continued to assess Shepard's handling of his daughter.

"Some poor sucker is going to end up with Javik as a father in law." Opined Garrus, amused by the Prothean's over-protectiveness.

Joker snorted. "Yeah, can you imagine? _Hi sir, I'm here to take your daughter to prom- no wait! Not the airlock! Please!"_

"Jeff, is it true that it is common for organics to feel intimidated by the parents of their spouses?" EDI asked, through her new lips. The activation of the crucible had rendered her old mobile platform useless, but EDI herself had been saved by her presence and backups in The Normandy's AI Core. Her new body had taken a while to make and wasn't quite as lethal as the original Cerberus model, but was, if anything, even more adored by The Normandy's pilot.

"Yeah, I guess that's true…" Joker was clearly wondering where she was heading with this.

"Although I do not have a father in the biological sense," EDI continued. "The closest analogous figure would be The Illusive Man." Her silver lips smiled wickedly.

"Not funny EDI," Joker shuddered. "Seriously."

"So Liara," said Kaidan, his arm around Shepard as she held the baby. "When is this little one going to get a name?"

"Actually…" Liara turned to Javik. "We think we've chosen."

They all stared at her.

"Well…?" said Joker.

"Spit it out T'soni!" said Garrus exasperatedly.

"Janiri" Liara said at last.

"Janiri," Tali repeated softly, "Like the guide of the Goddess Athame?"

"Yes," she smiled. "It seemed appropriate, now that we know that Janiri-"

"Was Prothean." Javik concluded.

"It's perfect," Shepard smiled, eyes fixed on Janiri.

"Beautiful," Kaidan agreed.

"Isn't there an Asari festival dedicated to her?" Tali asked as Shepard finally surrendered the baby back to her hands.

"It's called '_Janiris'_," said Garrus. "There are a lot of flowers involved as I recall."

"A foolish custom," Javik assessed. This earned a frown from Liara and soon after he added. "But not entirely unpleasant.

The visitors exchanged looks of surprise and raised eyebrows following this apparent evidence of Javik's domestication. But this wasn't the most startling behaviour he had exhibited since they'd been there; when Liara had greeted them at the door to the apartment and welcomed them inside, Javik had been sat on their sofa holding Janiri in front of him so that their faces were level. The taciturn Prothean was opening and closing each of his four eyes independently of the others in wild patterns to elicit a bubbling torrent of giggles from his daughter. Shepard had struggled to reconcile the overwhelming cuteness of the scene with Javik's character, and when he too let out a laugh- his deep and rumbling where hers was high and melodic- she gave up on making sense of it entirely.

The war had changed all of them. Each of them had lost things they'd hoped never to loose and gained things they'd never dreamed of finding- but, as Shepard took in the reality of this wondrously unlikely, inter-species, cross-cycle family, the memory of what they had endured was at last a little easier to accept.


End file.
